Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Venezuela: Politics and Government

baroness hooper: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the informal meeting of foreign affairs ministers of EU member states on 8 September in Gymnich, and in advance of the UN General Assembly, what action is being taken at the national and EU level to find a sustainable solution to the current political crisis in Venezuela.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are working closely with partners, including the EU and UN, to consider a range of options to promote an end to the crisis in Venezuela. The most recent discussion at EU level took place on 12 September. The Lima Group of Foreign Ministers met in the margins of the UN General Assembly on 20 September and will re-convene in Canada in October. Any solution to the current crisis in Venezuela must come from the region. The Minister for Europe and the Americas is working closely with Peru's Foreign Minister, Ricardo Luna, in support of Peru's regional leadership. We will continue to work with partners to consider a wide range of options to prevent further violence and alleviate the suffering of ordinary Venezuelans.Venezuela remains a Human Rights Priority Country for the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and the Minister for Europe and the Americas met the President of the National Assembly, Julio Borges, and Antonieta Lopez, the mother of opposition leader, Leopoldo Lopez, on 7 September and stressed the UK's unwavering support for the National Assembly as a democratic institution.

Robert Litt

lord laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government on which occasions Robert Litt, then General Counsel to the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence, visited the UK for the purpose of meeting ministers or civil servants after June 2014; what business he conducted on those occasions; and with which UK officials.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The former General Counsel to the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Robert Litt, visited the UK in November 2014 to meet the FCO's Legal Adviser, and in December 2016 to meet officials from the Cabinet Office, including a Deputy Director of the National Security Secretariat.

Robert Litt

lord laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what information, if any, they have received from HM Embassy in Dublin concerning visits to the Irish Republic since June 2014 of Robert Litt, then General Counsel to the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We hold no such information.

Robert Litt

lord laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what information, if any, they have received from the UK Permanent Representative to the EU concerning visits to Brussels since June 2014 of Robert Litt, then General Counsel to the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence, with particular regard to visits made in September and October 2015.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We hold no such information.

Caribbean: Hurricanes and Tornadoes

baroness sheehan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number of people who remain missing in (1) the British Overseas Territories, and (2) other Commonwealth nations to which they are providing assistance, impacted by Hurricane Irma.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Despite the FCO Hotline taking more than 3500 calls since 8 September, we are relieved that the number of Hurricane-related casualties in the Overseas Territories has been low, partly due to preparedness in the Overseas Territories and a quick Government response. In addition to providing humanitarian assistance in the region, we are working closely with the Overseas Territories to support recovery and reconstruction, £62 million has been committed to date. Establishing an accurate number of those missing in affected Overseas Territories is difficult while relief and reconstruction is continuing, however we believe the number is low.The number of missing people in the Independent Caribbean is a matter for the Governments of the countries concerned.